Editing Ramayana (section)

==Versions==
{{main|Versions of the Ramayana}}

[[File:Wat phra keaw ramayana fresco.jpg|thumb|right|The epic story of ''Ramyana'' was adopted by several cultures across Asia. Shown here is a Thai historic artwork depicting the battle which took place between Rama and Ravana.]]
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Reliëf op de aan Shiva gewijde tempel op de Candi Lara Jonggrang oftewel het Prambanan tempelcomplex TMnr 10016190.jpg|thumb|A relief with part of the Ramayana epic, shows Rama killed the golden deer that turn out to be the demon [[Maricha]] in disguise. [[Prambanan]] Trimurti temple near [[Yogyakarta]], [[Java]], [[Indonesia]]]]

As in many oral epics, multiple versions of the ''Ramayana'' survive. In particular, the ''Ramayana'' related in north India differs in important respects from that preserved in south India and the rest of southeast Asia. There is an extensive tradition of oral storytelling based on ''Ramayana'' in [[Indonesia]], [[Cambodia]], [[Philippines]], [[Thailand]], [[Malaysia]], [[Laos]], [[Vietnam]] and [[Maldives]].

===India===

There are diverse regional versions of the ''Ramayana'' written by various authors in India. Some of them differ significantly from each other. A [[West Bengal]] manuscript from the 6th century presents the epic without two of its kandas.

During the 12th century, [[Kambar (poet)|Kamban]] wrote [[Ramavataram]], known popularly as [[Kambaramayanam]] in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], but references to [[Ramayana in Tamil literature|Ramayana story appear in Tamil literature]] as early as 3rd century CE. The [[Telugu language|Telugu]] rendition, [[Ranganatha Ramayanam]], was written by [[Gona Budda Reddy]] in the 13th century and another of a purer Telugu rendition, called ''[[Molla Ramayanam]]'' written by [[Atukuri Molla]] in the 15th century.

The earliest translation to a regional Indo-Aryan language is the 14th-15th century [[Saptakanda Ramayana]] in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] by [[Madhava Kandali]]. Valmiki's ''Ramayana'' inspired [[Sri Ramacharit Manas]] by [[Tulsidas]] in 1576, an epic in [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]] [[Hindi]] with a slant more grounded in a different realm of Hindu literature, that of [[bhakti]]; it is an acknowledged masterpiece, popularly known as ''Tulsi-krita Ramayana''. [[Gujarat]]i poet Premanand wrote a version of the ''Ramayana'' in the 17th century.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} [[Akbar]], the third Mughal Emperor, commissioned a simplified text of the Ramayana which he dedicated to his mother, [[Hamida Banu Begum]]. Created around 1594, the manuscript is illustrated with scenes from the narrative.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rogers |first=J. M. |title=The arts of Islam : treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili collection |date=2008 |edition= Revised and expanded|publisher=Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) |location=Abu Dhabi |oclc=455121277 |author-link=J. M. Rogers|pages=272–3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Islamic Art {{!}} Two Pages from the Ramayana Made for Akbar's mother, Hamidah Banu Begum |url=https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-two-pages-from-the-ramayana-made-for-akbars-mother-hamidah-banu-begum-mss955/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=Khalili Collections |language=en-US |archive-date=13 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113094110/https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-two-pages-from-the-ramayana-made-for-akbars-mother-hamidah-banu-begum-mss955/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other versions include [[Krittivasi Ramayan]], a [[Bengali language|Bengali]] version by 14th century Bengali poet [[Krittibas Ojha]] in the early 15th century; [[Vilanka Ramayana]] by 15th century poet [[Sarala Dasa]]<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date=1 January 2006|isbn=9780816075645|first1=Constance|last1=Jones|first2=James D.|last2=Ryan|access-date=8 November 2015|archive-date=20 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020070415/https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Jagamohana Ramayana]]'' (also known as ''Dandi Ramayana'') by 15th century poet Balarama Dasa, both in [[Odia language|Odia]]; a Torave Ramayana in [[Kannada]] by 16th-century poet Narahari; [[Adhyathmaramayanam]], a [[Malayalam]] version by [[Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan]] in the 16th century; in [[Marathi language|Marathi]] by Sridhara in the 18th century; in [[Maithili language|Maithili]] by [[Chanda Jha]] in the 19th century; and in the 20th century, Rashtrakavi [[Kuvempu]]'s [[Sri Ramayana Darshanam]] in [[Kannada]] and [[Ramayana Kalpavruksham|Srimadramayana Kalpavrukshamu]] in Telugu by [[Viswanatha Satyanarayana]] who received [[Jnanpith Award|Jnanapeeth award]] for this work.

There is a sub-plot to the ''Ramayana'', prevalent in some parts of India, relating the adventures of [[Ahiravan]] and Mahi Ravana, evil brother of Ravana, which enhances the role of Hanuman in the story. Hanuman rescues Rama and Lakshmana after they are kidnapped by the Ahi-Mahi Ravana at the behest of Ravana and held prisoner in a cave, to be sacrificed to the goddess [[Kali]]. [[Adbhuta Ramayana]] is a version that is obscure but also attributed to [[Valmiki]] – intended as a supplementary to the original [[Valmiki Ramayana]]. In this variant of the narrative, Sita is accorded far more prominence, such as elaboration of the events surrounding her birth – in this case to [[Ravana]]'s wife, [[Mandodari]] as well as her conquest of Ravana's older brother in the [[Mahakali]] form.

The [[Gondi people]] have their own version of the Ramayana known as the ''Gond Ramayani'', derived from oral folk legends. It consists of seven stories with Lakshmana as the protagonist, set after the main events of the Ramayana, where he finds a bride.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mehta |first1=Mona |title=Gond Ramayani |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gond-ramayani/articleshow/8205480.cms |website=Times of India |date=10 July 2011 |access-date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=17 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117070639/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gond-ramayani/articleshow/8205480.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

In ''Adiya Ramayana,'' an oral version of Ramayana prevailing among the Adiya tribe of [[Wayanad]], Sita is an Adiya woman hailing from [[Pulpally]] in Wayanad.<ref name="news18.com">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-18 |title=Tribals, Trials And Tribulations: Wayanad's Adivasis Have Their Own Versions of Ramayana |url=https://www.news18.com/india/tribals-trials-and-tribulations-wayanads-adivasis-have-their-own-versions-of-ramayana-8744338.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> A notable difference in the version is  that the Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman were tied to a tree and were brought to trial in the tribal court, where the deities of the clan Sidhappan, Nanjappan, Mathappan etc. interrogate them with intense inquiries regarding the ethical justification for abandoning his pregnant wife in the barren jungle, neglecting his duties as a husband. Rama admits his mistakes and reaccepts Sita, Lava and Kusha.<ref name="news18.com"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tharuvana |first=Azeez |date=2023-10-23 |title=Varied Narratives Of The Many Ramayanas |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/varied-narratives-of-the-many-ramayanas-magazine-325535 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref>

====Early references in Tamil literature====
{{main|Ramayana in Tamil literature}}
Even before [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]] wrote the [[Ramavataram]] in Tamil in the 12th century CE, there are many ancient references to the story of Ramayana, implying that the story was familiar in the Tamil lands even before the Common Era. References to the story can be found in the [[Sangam literature]] of [[Akanaṉūṟu]] (dated 1st century BCE)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dakshinamurthy |first1=A |title=Akananuru: Neytal – Poem 70 |url=https://adakshinamurthy.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/akananuru-neythal-poem-70/ |website=Akananuru |access-date=22 July 2019 |date=July 2015 |archive-date=22 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722035941/https://adakshinamurthy.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/akananuru-neythal-poem-70/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Purananuru]] (dated 300 BC),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hart |first1=George L |last2=Heifetz |first2=Hank |title=The four hundred songs of war and wisdom : an anthology of poems from classical Tamil : the Puṟanāṉūṟu |url=https://archive.org/details/fourhundredsongs00 |url-access=registration |date=1999 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231115629 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Kalakam |editor1-first=Turaicămip Pillai |title=Purananuru |date=1950 |location=Madras}}</ref> the twin epics of [[Silappatikaram]] (dated 2nd century CE)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dikshitar |first1=V R Ramachandra |title=The Silappadikaram |date=1939 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Madras, British India |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.201802/page/n5 |access-date=22 July 2019}}</ref> and [[Manimekalai]] (cantos 5, 17 and 18),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pandian |first1=Pichai Pillai |title=Cattanar's Manimekalai |date=1931 |publisher=Saiva Siddhanta Works |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.65472 |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Aiyangar |first1=Rao Bahadur Krishnaswami |title=Manimekhalai In Its Historical Setting |date=1927 |publisher=Luzac & Co. |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/manimekhalaiinit031176mbp |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Shattan |first1=Merchant-Prince |editor1-last=Daniélou |editor1-first=Alain |title=Manimekhalai: The Dancer With the Magic Bowl |date=1989 |publisher=New Directions |location=New York }}</ref> and the [[Alvars|Alvar]] literature of [[Kulasekhara Alvar]], [[Thirumangai Alvar]], [[Andal]] and [[Nammalvar]] (dated between 5th and 10th centuries CE).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=John Stirling Morley |title=Hymns of the Alvars |date=1929 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Calcutta |url=https://archive.org/details/hymnsofthealvars020204mbp |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> Even the songs of the Nayanmars have references to Ravana and his devotion to Lord Siva.

The entire Ramayana was rewritten as a [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[Opera]] in the 18th century CE by [[Arunachala Kavi]]rayar in [[Srirangam]]. The opera, named the ''[[Rama Natakam]],'' allowed access to those who could not read the original version.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rajagopalan |first=K. R. |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.22549 |title=Seerkazhi Arunachala Kavirayar and Rama Natakam |date=1978 |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi}}</ref>

====Buddhist version====
{{Main|Dasaratha Jataka}}
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2023}}
In the Buddhist variant of the ''Ramayana'' ([[Dasaratha Jataka]]), Dasharatha was king of [[Benares]] and not Ayodhya. Rama (called Rāmapaṇḍita in this version) was the son of Kaushalya, first wife of Dasharatha. Lakṣmaṇa (Lakkhaṇa) was a sibling of Rama and son of Sumitra, the second wife of Dasharatha. Sita was the wife of Rama. To protect his children from his wife Kaikeyi, who wished to promote her son Bharata, Dasharatha sent the three to a hermitage in the Himalayas for a twelve-year exile.

After nine years, Dasharatha died and Lakkhaṇa and Sita returned. Rāmapaṇḍita, in deference to his father's wishes, remained in exile for a further two years. This version does not include the abduction of Sītā. There is no [[Ravana]] in this version, or the Rama-Ravana war. However, [[Ravana]] appears in other Buddhist literature, the [[Lankavatara Sutra]].

In the explanatory commentary on Jātaka, Rāmapaṇḍita is said to have been a previous birth of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], and Sita as previous birth of [[Yasodharā]] (Rahula-Mata).

====Jain versions====

{{main|Rama in Jainism|Salakapurusa}}
{{more footnotes needed|section|date=June 2024}}
[[Vimalsuri]] was a [[Jain monasticism|Jain monk]] of the [[Śvetāmbara|Śvetāmbara Murtipujaka]] sect. He is best known for his composition ''"Paumachariyam"'', the earliest known [[Jainism|Jain]] version of the Ramayana and the oldest work of literature written in [[Maharashtri Prakrit]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Agrawal |first=Dr Mukta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rd3-EAAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B2+%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80&pg=PA137 |title=Vaishivk Paridrashya Main Ram - Sahaitya |publisher=Sadbhawana Publication |isbn=978-81-965928-2-0 |language=hi}}</ref>{{sfn|Goldman|1984|p=60}} [[Jain]] versions of the ''Ramayana'' can also be found in the various [[Jain literature|Jain agama]]s like Saṅghadāsagaṇī Vāchaka's ''[[Vasudeva-hindi|Vasudevahiṇḍī]]'' (circa 4th century CE),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jain |first1=Jagdishchandra |title=Some Old Tales and Episodes in the Vasudevahiṇḍi |journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute |date=1979 |volume=60 |issue=1/4 |pages=167–173 |jstor=41692302 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41692302.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601230212/https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41692302.pdf |archive-date=2021-06-01 |url-status=live |issn=0378-1143}}</ref> Ravisena's [[Padma Purana|Padmapurana]] (story of Padmaja and [[Rama]], Padmaja being the name of [[Sita]]), [[Hemacandra]]'s [[Salakapurusa|Trisastisalakapurusa charitra]] (hagiography of 63 illustrious persons), Sanghadasa's ''Vasudevahindi'' and ''Uttarapurana'' by Gunabhadara. According to [[Jain cosmology]], every [[Kalachakra (Jainism)|half time cycle]] has nine sets of [[Balarama]], [[Vasudeva]] and prativasudeva.

Rama, [[Lakshmana]] and [[Ravana]] are the eighth Baldeva, Vasudeva and [[Prativasudeva]] respectively. [[Padmanabh Jaini]] notes that, unlike in the Hindu Puranas, the names Baladeva and Vasudeva are not restricted to [[Balarama]] and [[Krishna]] in Jain Puranas. Instead they serve as names of two distinct classes of mighty brothers, who appear nine times in each half time cycle and jointly rule half the earth as half-[[chakravartin]]s. Jaini traces the origin of this list of brothers to the ''jinacharitra'' (lives of jinas) by [[Acharya Bhadrabahu]] (3d–4th century BCE).

In the Jain epic of ''Ramayana'', it is not Rama who kills Ravana as told in the Hindu version. Perhaps this is because Rama, a liberated Jain Self in his last life, is unwilling to kill.{{sfn|Ramanujan|2004|p=145}} Instead, it is Lakshmana who kills Ravana (as Vasudeva killes Prativasudeva).{{sfn|Ramanujan|2004|p=145}} In the end, Rama, who led an upright life, renounces his kingdom, becomes a [[Jain monasticism|Jain monk]] and attains [[Moksa (Jainism)|moksha]]. On the other hand, Lakshmana and Ravana go to [[Naraka (Jainism)|Hell]]. However, it is predicted that ultimately they both will be reborn as upright persons and attain liberation in their future births. According to [[Jain texts]], Ravana will be the future [[Tirthankara]] (omniscient teacher) of Jainism.

The Jain versions have some variations from Valmiki's ''Ramayana''. Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya had four queens: Aparajita, Sumitra, Suprabha and Kaikeyi. These four queens had four sons. Aparajita's son was Padma and he became known by the name of Rama. Sumitra's son was Narayana: he came to be known by another name, Lakshmana. Kaikeyi's son was Bharata and Suprabha's son was Shatrughna. Furthermore, not much was thought of Rama's fidelity to Sita. According to the Jain version, Rama had four chief queens: Maithili, Prabhavati, Ratinibha, and Sridama.

Furthermore, Sita takes renunciation as a Jain ascetic after Rama abandons her and is reborn in heaven as Indra. Rama, after Lakshman's death, also renounces his kingdom and becomes a Jain monk. Ultimately, he attains [[Kevala Jnana]] omniscience and finally liberation. Rama predicts that Ravana and Lakshmana, who were in the [[Naraka (Jainism)|fourth hell]], will attain liberation in their future births. Accordingly, Ravana is the future Tirthankara of the next half ascending time cycle and Sita will be his [[Ganadhara]].

===Southeast Asian===
====Indonesia====
[[File:Balinese dance Legong in Ubud, Ramayana performance, 20220823 1916 0471.jpg|thumb|Balinese dance Legong in Ubud, Ramayana]]
[[File:Ramayana Java.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lakshmana]], Rama and Sita during their exile in [[Dandaka Forest]] depicted in [[Javanese dance]]]]

There are several Indonesian adaptations of Ramayana, including the Javanese ''[[Kakawin Ramayana]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Ramayana Kakawin Vol. 1 | work=archive.org | url=https://archive.org/details/RamayanaKakawinVol.1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b0274d0f-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad|title=The Kakawin Ramayana – an old Javanese rendering of the …|website=www.nas.gov.sg|access-date=2017-12-13|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213210217/http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b0274d0f-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad|url-status=live}}</ref> and Balinese ''Ramakavaca''. The first half of ''[[Kakawin Ramayana]]'' is similar to the original Sanskrit version, while the latter half is very different. One of the recognizable modifications is the inclusion of the indigenous Javanese guardian demigod, [[Semar]], and his sons, Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong who make up the numerically significant four [[Punokawan]] or "clown servants".{{sfn|Coedès|1968}}

''Kakawin Ramayana'' is believed to have been written in [[Central Java]] circa 870 AD during the reign of Mpu Sindok in the [[Mataram Kingdom]].{{sfn|Coedès|1968}} The Javanese ''Kakawin Ramayana'' is not based on Valmiki's epic, which was then the most famous version of Rama's story, but based on ''[[Ravanavadha (Bhattikavya)|Ravanavadha]]'' or the "Ravana massacre," which is the sixth or seventh century poem by Indian poet Bhattikavya.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dini-ardianty-fib10.web.unair.ac.id/artikel_detail-139638-Sastra-Perbedaan%20Ramayana%20%20Mahabarata%20dalam%20Kesusastraan%20Jawa%20Kuna%20dan%20India.html|title=Perbedaan Ramayana – Mahabarata dalam Kesusastraan Jawa Kuna dan India|last=Ardianty|first=Dini|date=8 June 2015|language=id|access-date=13 December 2017|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213202925/http://dini-ardianty-fib10.web.unair.ac.id/artikel_detail-139638-Sastra-Perbedaan%20Ramayana%20%20Mahabarata%20dalam%20Kesusastraan%20Jawa%20Kuna%20dan%20India.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Kakawin Ramayana]]'' was further developed on the neighboring island of [[Bali]] becoming the Balinese ''Ramakavaca''. The bas-reliefs of ''Ramayana'' and ''Krishnayana'' scenes are carved on balustrades of the 9th century [[Prambanan]] temple in [[Yogyakarta]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://borobudurpark.com/en/temple/prambanan-2/|title=Prambanan – Taman Wisata Candi|website=borobudurpark.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-12-15|archive-date=29 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929175956/https://borobudurpark.com/en/temple/prambanan-2//|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as in the 14th century [[Penataran]] temple in [[East Java]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://candi.pnri.go.id/temples_en/deskripsi-east_java-panataran_temple_30|title=Panataran Temple (East Java) – Temples of Indonesia|last=Indonesia|first=Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia / National Library of|website=candi.pnri.go.id|access-date=2017-12-15|archive-date=15 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215163735/http://candi.pnri.go.id/temples_en/deskripsi-east_java-panataran_temple_30|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Indonesia]], the Ramayana is a deeply ingrained aspect of the culture, especially among [[Javanese people|Javanese]], [[Balinese people|Balinese]] and [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]] people, and has become the source of moral and spiritual guidance as well as aesthetic expression and entertainment, for example in [[wayang]] and traditional dances.<ref>{{cite book |last=Beaman |first=P. L. |year=2017 |title=World Dance Cultures: From Ritual to Spectacle |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1317441069}}</ref>

The [[Balinese dance|Balinese]] ''[[kecak]]'' dance for example, retells the story of the Ramayana, with dancers playing the roles of Rama, Sita, Lakhsmana, Jatayu, Hanuman, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Indrajit surrounded by a troupe of over 50 bare-chested men who serve as the chorus chanting "cak". The performance also includes a fire show to describe the burning of Lanka by Hanuman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stepputat |first=K. |year=2021 |title=The Kecak and Cultural Tourism on Bali |publisher=University of Rochester Press |pages=92–101 |isbn=978-1648250316}}</ref> In [[Yogyakarta]], the ''[[Wayang wong|Wayang Wong]]'' [[Javanese dance]] also retells the Ramayana. One example of a dance production of the Ramayana in Java is the [[Ramayana Ballet]] performed on the Trimurti Prambanan open air stage, with dozens of actors and the three main prasad spires of the [[Prambanan]] Hindu temple as a backdrop.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indonesia.travel/uae/en/news-events/news/the-keepers-cnn-introduces-guardians-of-indonesia-s-rich-cultural-traditions|title=THE KEEPERS: CNN Introduces Guardians of Indonesia's Rich Cultural Traditions|website=www.indonesia.travel|access-date=2017-12-13|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213201642/http://www.indonesia.travel/uae/en/news-events/news/the-keepers-cnn-introduces-guardians-of-indonesia-s-rich-cultural-traditions|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Malaysia====

The Malay adaptation of the Ramayana, also known as the [[Hikayat Seri Rama]], incorporates elements of both Hindu mythology and [[Islamic mythology]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAsZDAAAQBAJ&q=Hikayat+Sri+Rama+Adam&pg=PA142|title=A History of Classical Malay Literature|last=Fang|first=Liaw Yock|date=2013|publisher=Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia|isbn=9789794618103|language=en|page=142}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oPgaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107|year=1898|pages=107–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oPgaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA143|year=1898|pages=143–}}</ref>

====Philippines====

{{main|Maharadia Lawana}}
The ''[[Maharadia Lawana]]'', an epic poem of the [[Maranao people]] of the [[Philippines]], has been regarded as an indigenized version of the Ramayana since it was documented and translated into English by Professor [[Juan R. Francisco]] and Nagasura Madale in 1968.{{sfn|Guillermo|2011|p=264}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Francisco |first=Juan R. |year=1969 |title=Maharadia Lawana |journal=Asian Studies |url=http://www.asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-07-02-1969/franciso-maharadia%20lawana.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017111420/http://www.asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-07-02-1969/franciso-maharadia%20lawana.pdf |archive-date=2015-10-17 |url-status=live}}</ref> The poem, which had not been written down before Francisco and Madale's translation,{{sfn|Guillermo|2011|p=264}} narrates the adventures of the monkey-king, Maharadia Lawana, to whom the Gods have granted immortality.{{sfn|Guillermo|2011}}

Francisco, an indologist from the [[University of the Philippines Manila]], believed that the ''Ramayana'' narrative arrived in the Philippines some time between the 17th to 19th centuries, via interactions with Javanese and Malaysian cultures which traded extensively with India.{{sfn|Francisco|1989|p=101}}

By the time it was documented in the 1960s, the character names, place names, and the precise episodes and events in Maharadia Lawana's narrative already had some notable differences from those of the ''Ramayana''. Francisco believed that this was a sign of "indigenization", and suggested that some changes had already been introduced in Malaysia and Java even before the story was heard by the Maranao, and that upon reaching the Maranao homeland, the story was "further indigenized to suit Philippine cultural perspectives and orientations."{{sfn|Francisco|1989|p=103}}

====Thailand====

[[File:Khon Dance Frankfurt Germany 2006.jpg|thumb|right|The Thai retelling of the tale—[[Ramakien]]—is popularly expressed in [[Dance in Thailand|traditional regional dance]] theatre]]
Thailand's popular national epic ''[[Ramakien]]'' ({{Langx|th|รามเกียรติ์}}, from {{IAST|rāmakīrti}}, 'glory of Ram') is derived from the Hindu epic. In {{Transliteration|th|Ramakien}}, Sita is the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari ({{Transliteration|th|thotsakan}} and {{Transliteration|th|montho}}). [[Vibhishana]] ({{Transliteration|th|phiphek}}), the astrologer brother of Ravana, predicts the death of Ravana from Sita's horoscope. Ravana throws her into the water, but she is later rescued by Janaka ({{Transliteration|th|chanok}}).{{sfn|Ramanujan|2004|p=149}}

While the main story is identical to that of ''Ramayana'', many other aspects were transposed into a Thai context, such as the clothes, weapons, topography and elements of nature, which are described as being Thai in style. It has an expanded role for Hanuman and he is portrayed as a lascivious character. Ramakien can be seen in an elaborate illustration at [[Wat Phra Kaew]] in Bangkok.

===Critical edition===

A [[critical edition]] of the text was compiled in India in the 1960s and 1970s, by the Oriental Institute at [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda#Oriental Institute|Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]], India, utilizing dozens of manuscripts collected from across India and the surrounding region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.berkeley.edu/2016/11/17/ramayana-translation-project-turns-its-last-page-after-four-decades-of-research/|publisher=news.berkeley.edu|title=Ramayana Translation Project turns its last page, after four decades of research &#124; Berkeley News|date=17 November 2016|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=9 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209121535/http://news.berkeley.edu/2016/11/17/ramayana-translation-project-turns-its-last-page-after-four-decades-of-research/|url-status=live}}</ref> An English language translation of the critical edition was completed in November 2016 by Sanskrit scholar Robert P. Goldman of the [[University of California, Berkeley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/20/uc-berkeley-researchers-complete-decades-long-translation-project/|publisher=dailycal.org|title=UC Berkeley researchers complete decades-long translation project &#124; The Daily Californian|date=21 November 2016|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=12 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212095447/http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/20/uc-berkeley-researchers-complete-decades-long-translation-project/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Another english translation of the critical edition of the Valmiki Ramayana has been made by the late Mr. Bibek Debroy.